Paul and Gender

$32.99

Overview

In this volume, respected New Testament scholar Cynthia Long Westfall offers a coherent Pauline theology of gender. S interprets passages on women and men together and places those passages in the context of the Pauline corpus as a whole. Her inclusion of the entire Pauline canon enables her to address the issues effectively, and she reads the texts in light of their own claims of authorship, recipient, and circumstances. She also gleans new insights by making sense of the passages in the context of the Greco-Roman culture.

Paul and Gender includes fresh perspectives on the most controverted texts, offering viable alternatives for some notorious interpretive problems in certain Pauline passages. The author reframes gender issues in a way that stimulates thinking, promotes discussion, and moves the conversation forward. As Westfall explores the significance of Paul's teaching on both genders, she seeks to support and equip males and females to serve in their area of gifting, regardless of social status, race, or gender.

This book is a call for all who study Paul and gender to learn to distinguish between their assumptions and the presuppositions they use to make sense of the texts. It will be of use to New Testament scholars, professors and students in courses on Paul, and pastors and church leaders.

Key Features

Fresh perspectives on difficult exegetical issues

Seeks to promote dialogue and discussion

Examines a number of notoriously difficult exegetical problems

Contents

Culture

Paul's Hellenism and Palestinian Judaism

The Pauline Relationship with the Church and Greco-Roman Society

Contrast between Rhetoric and Practice in the First Century

Gender and Greco-Roman Values

Gender and Public and Domestic Spheres

First Corinthians 11 and the Head Covering

Stereotypes

Male Metaphors Applied to All Believers

Feminine Metaphors Applied to All Believers

Feminine Metaphors Applied to Men

Creation

Gender and the Image of God

The Glory of God and the Glory of Man

The Purposes and Destiny for Gender in Creation

Gender and the Order of Creation

Creation and Headship

Woman Created for Man

The Fall

Gender and Deception

Gender and the Origin of Sin and Death

A Woman Is Saved through Childbirth

Eschatology

Pauline Eschatology and Transcendent Norms

Eschatology and Creation

Eschatology, Resurrection, and the Representation of Christ

Eschatology and the Destiny of Humanity

Eschatology and Life in the Christian Community

Eschatology and the Household

Eschatology and Galatians 3:28

Is There a Problem with Overrealized Eschatology?

The Body

Gender, the Flesh, and the Body in Paul

The Body as Male/Female

Sexuality

Marriage and Singleness

Sex and Children

Separation, Divorce, and Remarriage

Sexual Immorality (Rom. 1:26-27; 1 Cor. 6:12-19)

Calling

Gender, Call, Service, and the Priesthood of the Believer

The Relationship between Marriage and Calling

Women in Service or in Silence?

Authority

Gender, Authority, Power, and Status in the Greco-Roman Culture

Paul's Theology of Authority, Power, and Status

Men and Authority

Women and Authority

1 Timothy 2:11-15

Broad Exegetical Choices

The Purpose of the Letter

Antidotes to False Teaching (2:1-15)

Praise for the Print Edition

Westfall provides much-needed clarity for those of us who are often perplexed and even alarmed at the apostle Paul's remarks about men, women, authority, and gender roles. She introduces readers to ancient views of marriage and family, provides solid exegesis of key Pauline passages, and instructs us on what Paul is and is not saying in these controversial texts. This book is guaranteed to inform and challenge readers to think of gender and sexuality in light of a genuinely biblical worldview.

After the deluge of literature on gender roles in the Bible, can anyone add anything distinctive and persuasive to the discussion? Cynthia Long Westfall has demonstrated that the answer is a resounding yes. This is one of the most important books on the topic to appear in quite some time, and all Westfall's proposals merit serious consideration. The approach does not replicate standard contemporary complementarian or egalitarian perspectives but charts a fresh course in light of first-century cultural history and informed linguistic and discourse analysis. A must-read for anyone serious about understanding Paul on this crucial topic.

This is not another book about the 'women's issue.' In Paul and Gender, Westfall breaks new ground in Pauline studies by attending to gender concerns in light of sociohistorical context, formal and semantic features of the text, and literary constructs. She tackles the tough passages head-on, providing clear and at times provocative arguments as she builds her case that Paul upends his culture's gendered stereotypes in light of the gospel mission.

—Lynn H. Cohick, professor of New Testament, Wheaton College

Product Details

Title: Paul and Gender: Reclaiming the Apostle's Vision for Men and Women in Christ

In the Logos edition, this volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. Important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.

About Cynthia Long Westfall

Cynthia Long Westfall (PhD, University of Surrey) is assistant professor of New Testament at McMaster Divinity College in Hamilton, Ontario. She is the author of A Discourse Analysis of the Letter to the Hebrews: The Relationship between Form and Meaning and has coedited several volumes, including The Bible and Social Justice. Westfall is currently on several steering committees: the SBL Biblical Greek Language and Linguistics section, the ETS Evangelicals and Gender section, and the ETS Hebrews section. She is also a member of the editorial board for the Common English Bible.